Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 11, no. 4 (Feb. 2014)

A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia's public libraries

volume 11, issue 4 I February 2014

Public libraries important ingredients in meeting

educational goals of governor's FY2015 budget

Issues related to education were
front and center as Gov. Nathan Deal delivered his annual State of the State address Jan. 15. As part of his $42.4 billion state budget plan for the 2015 fiscal year, Deal proposed adding $547 million additional dollars in the budget for education.
"Let me proudly say, as would normally be said in the opening lines of the State of the State address, the state of our state is excellent. It is a great day in Georgia," Deal said.
The governor's budget proposal included several pieces of good news for the state's public libraries. "To award grants from the Public Library Fund, promote literacy and

provide library services that facilitate access to information for all Georgians," Deal recommended an overall $812,460 increase that includes:
I A nearly $200,000 increase in funds to reflect an adjustment in the employer share of the Teachers' Retirement System
I A $312,238 increase in funds for the employer share of health insurance
I Almost $195,000 in funds for merit-based pay adjustments and employee recruitment and retention initiatives
I More than $100,000 in increased funds for state grants to public libraries based on an increase in state population.

The first three figures include funds for state-paid librarian positions as well as for Georgia Public Library Service, noted Deputy State Librarian Julie Walker.
The governor also, for the second consecutive year, included in his budget $2 million in bond funds for the replacement of obsolete computers at public libraries. "We're very excited about this, because it shows that our approach to allocating the funds from last year's grant was successful and that our staff's efforts were appreciated," Walker said.
Emily Almond, director of Information Technology for GPLS,
See Budget, page 2

Staff

GPLS unveils new online Kids' PINES Catalog during Children's Day at Capitol
Georgia Public Library Service officially unveiled its new
online Kids' PINES Catalog as part of Children's Day at the Capitol. Sponsored by Voices for Georgia's Children, the annual event was held Jan. 23.

The catalog is now in use at more than 275 participating public libraries around the state.

PINES -- short for Public Information Network for Electronic Services -- is the library lending network that offers Georgia citizens a shared catalog of 10.6 million items, accessible with a single library card that is
See Catalog, page 4

From left, Elizabeth McKinney, Julie Walker and Elaine Black introduce the Kids' PINES Catalog at the state Capitol.

Budget
Continued from page 1 explained: "By thoroughly researching the available options and investing in staff training, public library systems took advantage of evolving technologies, leveraging a $2 million 2013 MRR grant not just to replace out-of-date machines, but to increase the computing footprint in Georgia by leaps and bounds. Had libraries simply swapped old machines for new, they could only have replaced about 2,000 obsolete desktops. Instead, 62 systems turned in purchasing plans for 3,968 machines!"
These public-access machines included 1,714 personal computers and laptops, 981 monitors, 690 Google Chromeboxes and Chromebooks, 124 printers and 277 tablets/e-readers. In addition, 22 systems were able to install and use AWE Early Literacy Stations -- self-

contained, educational computer stations with carefully selected programs for children aged 2-10 -- and three systems added 3D printers.
As has become his custom, the governor did not include any library-related capital projects in his FY2015 budget, preferring to allow members of the General Assembly to consider their inclusion during the current session. During his term, Deal has not vetoed any libraryrelated capital project that was added to the state budget in the course of the legislative session. The 11 FY2015 capital outlay requests from Georgia's public library systems would build seven new branches and expand four current facilities. The state's share of the approximately $45 million total cost would be $18,750,000. I

Staff

Hot dog! Librarians visit the Capitol

Georgia Council of Public Libraries (GCPL) sponsored its annual Hot Dog Day at the Capitol Jan. 27. The event gives library staff, trustees and supporters from across the state the opportunity to meet with and voice their support for public libraries to their officials in the General Assembly. Top left: Rep. Paul Battles (R-Cartersville) talks with Leigh Goff, administrative assistant for eight House members, and Geri Mullis, director of the Brunswick-based Marshes of Glynn Libraries. Top right: Leigh Wiley (left), director of the Worth County Library, and

Claire Leavy, director of the Lee County Library, meet with Rep. Ed Rynders (R-Leesburg). Above left: Jimmy Bass, director of libraries for the Coweta County Public Library System, chats with Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan). Above center: GCPL treated General Assembly members and their staffs, as well as several members of the United States armed forces, to a lunch of Varsity hot dogs. Above right: Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) and Rep. Valerie Clark (R-Lawrenceville) welcomed the chance to meet with their constituents.

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Georgia Public Library Service News February 2014

FY2013 a year of evolution, transition for libraries

Even as operating and materials
budgets remained strained, Georgia's public libraries continued to evolve with the times in 2013, transitioning more toward the electronic resources that residents crave, while expanding the traditional services they still demand.
Georgia residents used the 8,000-plus computer workstations now available at public libraries almost 13 million times in 2013. On top of that, more than 3.5 million users took advantage of library wireless networks to access the Internet with their own computers and electronic devices -- and that figure accounts only for wireless use at the 262 facilities that tracked the information. By applying the tracked per-facility wireless use across all public libraries, the likely use of electronic resources in 2013 exceeded 18.5 million, an all-time high.
Total materials circulation approached 41.5 million in 2013, and more than 4.75 million Georgia residents now hold library cards.
"Public libraries continue to play a crucial role at every level of education for Georgians," said Deputy State Librarian Julie Walker. "They provide valuable support for children and parents by providing preschool, preliteracy programs and valuable resources for K-12 education. They also are bolstering the increasingly important services needed by adults returning to school and who are retraining for new career paths. Parents and students of all ages appreciate libraries as a quiet, safe place to read, study and pursue their educational goals."
Georgia's statewide Summer Reading Program enjoyed attendance of about 481,000 in 2013, and more

than 1.4 million children and young adults attended one of the nearly 44,000 programs designed for and offered to them by Georgia's public libraries during FY2013. Circulation of youth-oriented materials topped 16.8 million items for the year.

"It's fitting that Georgia's public libraries reside under the University System of Georgia's umbrella, given their strong role in every level of education in our state," Walker said.

Diana Very, GPLS's director of

LSTA, Statistics and Research, agreed.

As an example,

she said that

searches of the

databases in

GALILEO via

access from

public libraries

increased from

2.4 million in

2012 to nearly

Very

3.9 million.

GALILEO is

Georgia's Virtual Library. It is available

in every public library in Georgia and

can also be accessed from home at

www.galileo.usg.edu by using a

library-issued password.

"It's noteworthy to see that the GALILEO numbers increased dramatically in spite of losing Britannica and ProQuest, two of its most popular databases, due to funding cuts," she said.

The role of public libraries in Georgia's economic development also continues to grow, explained State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch.

"In many areas," Veatch said, "they remain the only source of free computer workstations and Internet access for residents. When today's jobs require online application -- and with many training programs only

available via computer -- many Georgians must use public libraries to pursue these opportunities. Today's libraries also offer computer training classes and assistance in writing resumes and provide essential resources for small businesses and individuals in every corner of the state."
Darin Givens, webmaster and communications specialist for GPLS, pointed out that public library system websites hosted by the agency experienced an 82 percent increase in traffic between 2012 and 2013, reaching a total of 1,178,737 individual visits. The number of hits on those websites' pages topped 107 million -- up 222 percent from 2012.
Givens
"GPLS also saw social media interest in public libraries increase dramatically between 2012 and 2013," Givens said, "with Facebook followers increasing by 48 percent and Twitter followers by 71 percent."
According to the Pew Research Center's Internet Project Omnibus Survey, released in mid-January 2014, most adults (76 percent) read at least one book in 2013.
Print remains the most popular option by far, but e-reading is on the rise, with 28 percent of American adults indicating they had read at least one e-book during the year. While still a small (1.6 percent) part of overall circulations at Georgia's public libraries, the number of ebook loans increased last year by 74 percent, to 677,321. I

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February 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

Staff

Catalog
Continued from page 1 welcomed in all member libraries. Now boasting nearly 3 million registered cardholders, PINES is a national leader in library cooperation and resource sharing.

The Kids' PINES Catalog has a streamlined, more colorful and childfriendly design than the main PINES online catalog. Only those 350,000plus books, DVDs, CDs and other items that have been cataloged in PINES as children's materials will show up in search results.

The main page features preset search buttons for popular and season-specific subjects, such as dinosaurs, princesses, awardwinning books and Valentine's Day. It also offers a link to a Dewey Decimal System chart showing the locations of some of the most popular nonfiction areas -- such as mythology, science fair projects, pets and magic tricks -- that are of interest to children. From the basic search on the catalog's main screen,

The search page of the new Kids' PINES Catalog

children and parents can narrow search results to a specific library and/or to three specific age groups: preschool, primary or tween.
The Kids' PINES Catalog features GPLS-commissioned illustrations by noted Georgia children's book illustrator Michael P. White, best known for his work on the popular

"Library Dragon" books. The dedicated catalog's Web address is www.gapines.org/kpac.
"We hope that children and parents who are holders of PINES library cards will find this new discovery tool to be fun and engaging," said PINES Program Director Elizabeth McKinney.

Mary Smith

"There could be no better occasion for us to launch the new catalog than during the 2014 Children's Day at the Capitol," said Elaine Black, director of Youth Services for GPLS. "This is a significant annual event that helps illustrate to Georgia's elected officials the importance of investing in our children."

Historic expansion
Members of the Treutlen County Library board posed Jan. 7 with Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) and several benefactors at a groundbreaking ceremony for an addition to the Soperton library. Inclement weather did not dampen the spirits of the board, which is adding to the library for the first time in 30 years. The addition, which will nearly double the size of the current library, will include a large meeting room and an expanded local history room that will include a Pine Tree Museum. The expansion is funded by a grant from GPLS, along with matching funds from the Hugh Gillis and Jim L. Gillis families and local resources, including SPLOST funds. Front row, from left are Hugh Gillis Jr., Jim L. Gillis Jr. and Board Secretary Brenda Brown. Back row, from left, are Natalie Mimbs, Board President Justine Gillis, Oconee Regional Library Director Leard Daughety, Sen. Hill, Board Treasurer Mary Carter, Will Peterson and Lisa Byrd.
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Georgia Public Library Service News February 2014

The introduction of the Kids' PINES Catalog is the most visible aspect of an overall PINES catalog upgrade that took place Jan.16-20. According to McKinney, users of the main PINES catalog may also notice improvements in accessibility by smartphones and other mobile devices, as well as the ability to browse the catalog by author, subject and genre headings. I

Rhiannon Eades Staff

Directors impressed by facilities planning session

With changes in technology, fluctuations in the
economy coming and rapidly evolving populations flocking to public libraries from every direction, Georgia library administrators are avidly looking at new ways to house their branches -- not by starting from scratch, but by working with the facilities they already have.

On Dec. 4, librarians from around the state met at Live Oak Public Libraries' Bull Street Branch in Savannah for a GPLSsponsored full-day session on facility improvement, flexibility and design called "Planning Your Library Facilities 1.0."

Nathan Rall, director

of Facilities and

Construction for GPLS, led

the seminar, which featured

hands-on learning sessions with Chad Alexander

From left: Moore, Rall and Smith

Smith, president of Grayson-based CAS Architecture,

and David R. Moore, principal with McMillan Pazdan

Smith Architecture, which currently has five offices in the

Southeast, including one in Atlanta.

worked on library projects for the Athens, Coastal Plain and Sequoyah regional library systems and for those systems in Clayton, Forsyth and Newton counties.
Approximately 45 library directors attended "Planning Your Library Facilities 1.0," including FRRLS
Executive Director Carrie Zeiger, who is a strong proponent of facilities planning and education.
"I'm sure this opened many people's eyes," she said, pointing to her system's current project as an excellent example of how proper facilities planning can pay dividends before, during and after a project's completion. "David's great understanding of how libraries actually operate helped enable the Monroe County board to take his recommendations for redesigning the library and, with local and some state funding, create an open, welcoming and functional space for both patrons and staff," she said.

"The event was especially timely," said Rall, "because we've had several new directors come aboard since our last event of this type, which was held in 2011. Chad, David and I worked to develop a session that would focus on helping those administrators who are new to library planning and construction but that would still be attractive and educational for the construction-seasoned library directors."

Rall said he hopes to use the December session as a foundation on which to build a series of future classes. I

Smith and Moore spoke from experience about library architecture, including the latest advancements in, methods of and philosophies about the maximization and reinvigoration of virtually every square inch of potential space within their branches.

Smith's firm recently helped revamp the Sara Hightower Regional Library's Rockmart Library and construct the Gwinnett County Public Library's Hamilton Mill Branch -- the county's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building. Moore's company is currently working with Flint River Regional Library System (FRRLS) staff to bring new life to its Monroe County Library in Forsyth. He previously

Mural of the story
As part of the Athens-Clarke County Library's recently completed renovation and expansion project, workers install a 60-foot mural colorfully depicting a diverse crowd headed to the library. The public art installation by Nick Napoletano runs along a retaining wall facing Baxter Street. The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission, whose goal is to initiate community participation in the building of public spaces and encourage citizens to take pride in public cultural expression, worked with the Library and Athens-Clarke County government to select and coordinate the work's January installation.

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February 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Charles Pace is the new execu-

tive director of the Gwinnett County

Public Library

System. He was

most recently

director of the

20-branch St.

Louis County

library system in

Missouri, where

he served for

seven years. Pace

Pace

has also directed

the Fargo, N.D., library system and

managed branch libraries in Houston

and Chicago.

Stephen Whigham has been named interim director of the Twin Lakes Library System in Milledgeville. Publisher at the Eastman-based MM John Welda BookHouse, Whigham retired as director of the Ocmulgee Regional Library System in 2012.

Martha Powers-Jones has been appointed interim director of

the Ohoopee Regional Library System in Vidalia, effective March 1. She replaces Dusty Grs, who will retire in February. Powers-Jones is currently children's librarian for the system.

Jennifer Lautzenheiser has

joined the Henry County Library

System as

assistant director.

She was previ-

ously head of

circulation at the

Perry library in

Houston County.

Lautzenheiser

earned her

Lautzenheiser

Master of Library and Information

Science degree from Valdosta State

University.

Tamika Strong is the new IT program manager for GPLS. She comes to the agency from the DeKalb County Public Library system, where she worked in various capaci-

ties for 11 years, most recently as automation services coordinator. She earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Strong

Zachary Steele has joined the Georgia Center for the Book, based at the DeKalb County Public Library, as assistant to the director. Steele is Steele author of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO; Flutter: An Epic of Mass Distraction; and the soon-to-be published children's series, The Storyteller.

Dyana Costello Banks

Towns County gold
On a brisk, 20-degree morning in Hiawassee, a group of community leaders and guests gathered to celebrate the breaking of ground for the $1 million renovation and addition to the Towns County Public Library. The project will update and add 4,000 square feet of space to the existing library. Funding includes $100,000 from Towns County Capital SPLOST Funds and $900,000 from State Capital Outlay Grant Bonds. From left are Luke Winkler with father Chad Winkler, president of Winkler & Winkler Construction; John Kay, vice chair of the Towns County Library board; Barbara Mathis, mayor of the city of Hiawassee; Shirley Stallings, library advocate who collected more than 700 letters of support for the project from community residents; Dr. Lamar Veatch, state librarian; Teresa Moore, Mountain Regional Library board chair; Bill Kendall, Towns County commissioner; Rep. Stephen Allison (R-Blairsville); Debbie Phillips, branch manager, with twins Eli and Zoe; Donna Howell, Mountain Regional Library System director; Jan Roberts, president, Friends of the Libraries of Towns County; and Joe Gardner of Gardner, Spencer, Smith, Tench & Jarbeau Architects.
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Georgia Public Library Service News February 2014

Librarian

Meiyun Lee of

the DeKalb

County Public

Library was

recognized at a

ceremony at the

state Capitol on

Jan. 29. The

Asian Pacific

Lee

American

Historical Society honored Lee for her

programming and outreach to the

Asian community at the system's

Chamblee branch.

Deborah Moorman, library manager for the Irwin County Public Library, and Victoria Horst, branch manager of the Tifton-Tift County Public Library, will present the program "Won't You Be My Neigh-
See News, page 7

Carole Albyn

Bill Davis Susan Lee

Playing through
The Live Oak Public Libraries Foundation hosted its first "Tee Off with TWIGS" family fundraiser on Jan. 25, temporarily transforming the Bull Street Library in Savannah into an 18-hole miniature golf course. With tee times throughout the day, the library welcomed families eager to putt around the stacks and say hello to TWIGS, the library's squirrel mascot. A variety of Savannah businesses sponsored the event.

News
Continued from page 6 bor: Building Partnerships in Small Rural Communities" at the Public Library Association's annual conference on March 13. The session will give participants a number of ideas on how to form relationships with a variety of nonlibrary organizations that share similar goals with their local libraries.

Ballard

The Athens Regional Library System has named Rebecca Ballard as the winner of the system's 2013 Staff Distinction Award. Ballard has been employed by the

Susan White retires as Sequoyah director
After a more-than-42-year career as
an employee of the Canton-based Sequoyah Regional Library System, Library Director Susan White has retired.
"I have served this library system as bookmobile librarian, technical services supervisor, Pickens County Library manager, assistant director and finally as director," she said, "and the staff throughout this system is absolutely great. They are caring individuals who want to serve the public in any positive way that they can."
White was succeeded Feb. 1 by Anita Summers, who has been serving as assistant director for the system since 2008. Summers earned her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Tennessee and holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Georgia.

White (left) and Summers
"I have learned a great deal from Susan White, who has been an excellent director. Having known her for 24 years and having worked as her assistant over the past five years, I believe I have a good head start toward guiding the library system through its current and future challenges."
The system held a retirement celebration in White's honor at the end of January. I

system for eight years and currently serves as children's area assistant.
Cries of holiday cheer
In the person of retired Sheriff Walter Landrum, Santa visited Izabella McKown and her mom, Terri, at the Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library on Dec. 7. The appearance was part of the Southwest Georgia Regional Library's annual "Breakfast with Santa" events, held at all three of the system's branches.

Georgia's PINES team will be a strong presence at the 2014 Evergreen International Conference March 1922 in Cambridge, Mass. Program Director Elizabeth McKinney will help kick off the conference as a part of the Evergreen Welcome Panel. Terran McCanna, program manager, will present "Consider the KPAC: Implement and Customize the Children's Catalog," while Chris Sharp, system administrator, and Elaine Hardy, PINES and collaborative projects manager, will present "Tiny Budget, Abundant Results: Creating an Online Catalog at Georgia's Governor's Mansion with Evergreen." Sharp will also co-present "How to Write Clear Development Requirements and Bug Reports" and will co-host a system administration interest group session. I

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February 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

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Julia Huprich

CONTACT US

Georgia Public Library Service 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304 404.235.7200 404.235.7201 fax www.georgialibraries.org

Lamar Veatch, state librarian David Baker, editor Dustin Landrum, assistant

Georgia Public Library Service News (ISSN 1546-511X) is published bimonthly by the Georgia Public Library Service, the state agency that supports public libraries and works with them to improve the quality and variety of library services available to Georgia citizens of all ages.
This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Georgia Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.
Information presented in this newsletter will be provided in alternative formats on request. For more information about Georgia's libraries and literary events, or to post an event, visit our online calendar at www.georgialibraries.org

All-star honors
In appreciation for his "resolute support of public library services," State Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) was presented with a copy of Baseball Americana: Treasures From the Library of Congress at a brief ceremony in his office on Jan. 16. The longest-serving Republican in the House, Ehrhart represents District 36, which includes portions of Northwest Cobb County. From left are Helen Poyer, director of the Cobb County Public Library System; Ehrhart; Dr. Jackie McMorris, director of the Cobb County Public Services Agency; and State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch.